Don't make me protect myself when I read!

I get hundreds of emails a day. Am I going to read yours? Do I trust that by reading yours I will gain something valuable? If you mislead me with vague promises and statements I can interpret a couple of different ways, I find that I don't trust you. I am getting more and more emails following this formula: Vague / misleading promise in an email that leads to sales copy page after sales copy page after sales copy page to order page without providing me anything valuable.

For example, I received an email today on Emotional Intelligence. The email said - Our new book is loaded with 66 proven strategies to increase your EQ ... which pinpoints the strategies that will increase your EQ the most and tests you twice to measure your progress. SEE IT (hyperlink removed)

SEE IT meant see the cover of the the book, not even one of the 66 proven strategies. I clicked and waited so I could see more sales copy. I wasn't of value to me.

There was another link in the email: Our most popular download of all time is now revised and updated for 2009. Learn how leading organizations use EQ to boost their bottom line.

It lead to more sales copy. Ho-Hum. As a result, I concluded you didn't give anything, because you didn't have anything new beyond the original work on EQ. I have other emails to read and other places to go. Next.

Play Big or Go Home!

For the last 21 years, I have been digging deep into the realm of 'change communication'. This includes persuasion, influence, negotiation, sales training, leadership, etc. I have reached a place where I can be picky with whom I work with and find myself very attracted to those customers wanting to ‘Play Big or Go Home!’

I am learning that this is a rare quality and the reason is, it’s not a very comfortable position, because it involves risk and upping the stakes. It’s not a world for everyone. What it is though is a world of integrity to you.

The misunderstanding made is that ‘Play Big or Go Home!’ is associated with X-Games, cage fighting, free climbing, etc. The thought is that it must be an extreme risk of all or nothing.

The reality is ‘Play Big or Go Home!’ is a state of mind about playing to win versus a focus on fear of losing or fear of change. It shows up in how someone plays golf or chess or poker as well as how they work with staff, finances, and customers.

The question to ask is ‘Are you willing to use all your insight, skill, and personality to create the necessary change?’ It’s less about doing the ‘right’ thing and more about doing your thing.

Maybe that’s the easiest way to describe what Adam Sandler brings to the screen. It’s about integrity to be yourself rather than what you think you should be to get by in the world.

The real benefit of mastery of a subject (meditation, golf, sales training) is to bring your unique contribution. The oxymoron of it is the group of individuals willing to jump in with you (work with you) will become smaller. That’s the work of mastery: Willing to stay on the path as others fade away from view. The prize is the state of being; the peace of having left your unique contribution to the world. Just understand the prize is time independent in this world.

Difference between Prospecting and Lead Generation

What is the difference between prospecting and lead generation?

The answer is always: It depends on your perspective.

The traditional vision of marketing is lead generation. Marketing does their magic and comes up with a campaign to generate leads. Those leads are then turned over to the sales team which goes through the leads looking for prospects that will then be worked into sales.

There are three unfortunate realities. First, marketing and sales are not always on the same page. There might be lots of leads that could never become sales, and this is demotivating to sales and then to marketing. Second, too many salespeople lack the necessary skills to convert leads to sales. Third, this is a perspective issue because different departments are rewarded for different results.

If lead generation and prospecting were thought of as a singular activity, then sales might be improved. This can be one of the beauties of SN: It blurs the lines between functions and in doing so can drive the thought process to results as the clarifying purpose.

For example, is this blog lead generation? prospecting? or just too much coffee? or is it just Wednesday?

Hey, it's Wednesday and you know what that is 'It's Prince Spaghetti Day!' OK, so I've dated myself. You can check out the commercial on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tJUNlZF7Sw Is this prospecting or lead generation? It depends if you are a consumer or a grocery store, doesn't it? or does it?

The Most Important Truths

In times of trouble, the truth speeds recovery.

I’m not talking about gossip or truth to hurt.

I’m talking about truth to bind a relationship when times are difficult. I’m talking about acknowledgement of what is going on and planning understanding that these are uncertain times. Truth allows someone to move forward knowing what is going on. This is a good rule for government, business, sales, and each of us personally.

Truth is persuasive!

Here are some truths we need to hear.

- A large number of critical financial Intuitions are not cooperating at this time with the recovery either because of self-interest or a lack of understanding
- Much of the posturing and positioning in the media by organizations and individuals is self-serving and slowing down the recovery
- Mistakes are being made and they are slowing down the recovery also

Here are some other truths we need to hear:

- Making mistakes along the way is part of dealing with the unknown
- This too shall pass
- We may not like some of the changes
- Some will come out better than others
- Some will do more than others

The most important truths of all:

- Only you can control your actions and reactions to the current situation.
- The truth is you can do your very best if you want and that will be your contribution to the recovery and those you love.
- The truth is every moment of every day is your new opportunity.

I wish you well on your individual path of truth.

t

Letting Go

The hardest part of change is letting go of success patterns of the past. To say the world has changed is an understatement. Are you doing the same things? Having the same conversations? Looking for the same results?

"Change is hard! Fighting change to preserve the comfort of the known is disastrous." - Jeffrey Hansler

disastrous - attended by or causing suffering

Serenity Prayer and Sales

Give me the strength to change what I can, accept what I cannot change, and know the difference...

This is key to sales success.

"There are many people that need your products and services that will never buy your products and services." - Jeffrey Hansler

If you can't separate these people out, you'll end up wasting a great deal of time.

Difference between customer service and sales

There are many people in sales that don't do sales - they do customer service.

The difference between customer service and sales is...

Customer service is giving them something they want.

Sales is getting them to want something you've got.

- Jeffrey Hansler